(03-18-2017 11:02 AM)Rufus T. Firefly Wrote: I'm just afraid Tubby is content with mediocrity or being average which his recent career seems to illustrate. We need the administration to strive to find a coach that aspires to rise above the average and provide what is needed to maintain that level.

(03-17-2017 09:58 PM)bluebacker Wrote: So, no one wanted to follow Cal because he was too successful and now no one wants the job because it's a train wreck?

Now I've heard it all.

Neither of those was ever true, but they both direct your gaze toward the real problem of why some coaches have politely declined. A good number of our fans have the deadly combination of a little basketball knowledge, a paranoid inferiority complex, an irrational sense of entitlement, and a know-it-all redneck mindset. What could go wrong with accepting an invitation to be the focal point of that crowd?

Add a lack of a understanding of basic statistics. Try explaining sample size or what a normal distribution is?

In addition, the media here operates with malice towards anything that is the University of Memphis.

(03-18-2017 10:42 AM)Tiger87 Wrote: Ok, your rude remark aside, I'll take you at your word that you want to have real discussion about this.

I believe there were not many coaches who wanted to follow Cal. He had set unbelievably high expectations, and the NCAA was breathing down our back. Now, there were more options than RC exercised, but the list was not huge.

After about 5 years of Pastner, I think the list was much bigger. Pastner had reset expectations, and had done a decent job of keeping recruiting relevant. That was the peak of our HC possibilities, post-Cal.

Every year since then, the list gets smaller. Program is losing shine. Player issues. Admin issues. Fan expectations. Declining attendance. Still, when Pastner left, there was a decent list. No marquee names were coming - partly because of them, and partly because we're not giving the Cal treatment any longer because we no longer are willing to waste football - but a decent list of second tier candidates.

Now after a year of Tubby, and the noise from the media and fan base. And the way the season ended, the Lawsons family contention, the lack of local recruiting, the scheduling issues...Coaches would look at all this and issue a quick "Pass". I think the candidate list right now might be as small as it's ever been.

On top of all that, coaches just aren't moving within D1 like they used to. Low tier P5's and even mid-majors are finding ways to keep coaches. So we're left with, again, those 2nd tier candidates that you take a flyer on, or the recycles.

Give Tubby about 3 years to restore some stability - and he should be able to - and then the candidate list will be restored as well.

IMO

I don't disagree with a thing you said except that I do think Marshall would have come here if given the control over basketball and I think at this point it wouldn't have wasted football.

The big boys rolled the dice on football to get us inclusion into a P5 conference and it backfired.

I fully admit to having an Opie hangover.

Certain things Tubby did THIS season really irritated me.

Setting this year aside, I'm genuinely concerned that next year is going to be the crater year if DL leaves and even worse if any other players follow suit.

It's really hard to understand how the boosters positioned things to allow the program to ever nose dive back to the point where it is today. It took a series of very poor decisions. It's really a shame.

(03-17-2017 09:58 PM)bluebacker Wrote: So, no one wanted to follow Cal because he was too successful and now no one wants the job because it's a train wreck?

Now I've heard it all.

Neither of those was ever true, but they both direct your gaze toward the real problem of why some coaches have politely declined. A good number of our fans have the deadly combination of a little basketball knowledge, a paranoid inferiority complex, an irrational sense of entitlement, and a know-it-all redneck mindset. What could go wrong with accepting an invitation to be the focal point of that crowd?

Add a lack of a understanding of basic statistics. Try explaining sample size or what a normal distribution is?

In addition, the media here operates with malice towards anything that is the University of Memphis.

(03-18-2017 10:42 AM)Tiger87 Wrote: Ok, your rude remark aside, I'll take you at your word that you want to have real discussion about this.

I believe there were not many coaches who wanted to follow Cal. He had set unbelievably high expectations, and the NCAA was breathing down our back. Now, there were more options than RC exercised, but the list was not huge.

After about 5 years of Pastner, I think the list was much bigger. Pastner had reset expectations, and had done a decent job of keeping recruiting relevant. That was the peak of our HC possibilities, post-Cal.

Every year since then, the list gets smaller. Program is losing shine. Player issues. Admin issues. Fan expectations. Declining attendance. Still, when Pastner left, there was a decent list. No marquee names were coming - partly because of them, and partly because we're not giving the Cal treatment any longer because we no longer are willing to waste football - but a decent list of second tier candidates.

Now after a year of Tubby, and the noise from the media and fan base. And the way the season ended, the Lawsons family contention, the lack of local recruiting, the scheduling issues...Coaches would look at all this and issue a quick "Pass". I think the candidate list right now might be as small as it's ever been.

On top of all that, coaches just aren't moving within D1 like they used to. Low tier P5's and even mid-majors are finding ways to keep coaches. So we're left with, again, those 2nd tier candidates that you take a flyer on, or the recycles.

Give Tubby about 3 years to restore some stability - and he should be able to - and then the candidate list will be restored as well.

IMO

I don't disagree with a thing you said except that I do think Marshall would have come here if given the control over basketball and I think at this point it wouldn't have wasted football.

The big boys rolled the dice on football to get us inclusion into a P5 conference and it backfired.

I fully admit to having an Opie hangover.

Certain things Tubby did THIS season really irritated me.

Setting this year aside, I'm genuinely concerned that next year is going to be the crater year if DL leaves and even worse if any other players follow suit.

It's really hard to understand how the boosters positioned things to allow the program to ever nose dive back to the point where it is today. It took a series of very poor decisions. It's really a shame.

My advice to you Backer is this...Let things play out before proclaiming we're dead. You never know what can happen.

(03-17-2017 09:58 PM)bluebacker Wrote: So, no one wanted to follow Cal because he was too successful and now no one wants the job because it's a train wreck?

Now I've heard it all.

Neither of those was ever true, but they both direct your gaze toward the real problem of why some coaches have politely declined. A good number of our fans have the deadly combination of a little basketball knowledge, a paranoid inferiority complex, an irrational sense of entitlement, and a know-it-all redneck mindset. What could go wrong with accepting an invitation to be the focal point of that crowd?

Add a lack of a understanding of basic statistics. Try explaining sample size or what a normal distribution is?

In addition, the media here operates with malice towards anything that is the University of Memphis.

Is this a serious post? If not then bravo on the Irony scale. If you are serious then..........

(03-18-2017 10:42 AM)Tiger87 Wrote: Ok, your rude remark aside, I'll take you at your word that you want to have real discussion about this.

I believe there were not many coaches who wanted to follow Cal. He had set unbelievably high expectations, and the NCAA was breathing down our back. Now, there were more options than RC exercised, but the list was not huge.

After about 5 years of Pastner, I think the list was much bigger. Pastner had reset expectations, and had done a decent job of keeping recruiting relevant. That was the peak of our HC possibilities, post-Cal.

Every year since then, the list gets smaller. Program is losing shine. Player issues. Admin issues. Fan expectations. Declining attendance. Still, when Pastner left, there was a decent list. No marquee names were coming - partly because of them, and partly because we're not giving the Cal treatment any longer because we no longer are willing to waste football - but a decent list of second tier candidates.

Now after a year of Tubby, and the noise from the media and fan base. And the way the season ended, the Lawsons family contention, the lack of local recruiting, the scheduling issues...Coaches would look at all this and issue a quick "Pass". I think the candidate list right now might be as small as it's ever been.

On top of all that, coaches just aren't moving within D1 like they used to. Low tier P5's and even mid-majors are finding ways to keep coaches. So we're left with, again, those 2nd tier candidates that you take a flyer on, or the recycles.

Give Tubby about 3 years to restore some stability - and he should be able to - and then the candidate list will be restored as well.

IMO

I don't disagree with a thing you said except that I do think Marshall would have come here if given the control over basketball and I think at this point it wouldn't have wasted football.

The big boys rolled the dice on football to get us inclusion into a P5 conference and it backfired.

I fully admit to having an Opie hangover.

Certain things Tubby did THIS season really irritated me.

Setting this year aside, I'm genuinely concerned that next year is going to be the crater year if DL leaves and even worse if any other players follow suit.

It's really hard to understand how the boosters positioned things to allow the program to ever nose dive back to the point where it is today. It took a series of very poor decisions. It's really a shame.

My advice to you Backer is this...Let things play out before proclaiming we're dead. You never know what can happen.

The only thing that's going to help is if Tubby and staff have some hosses lined up for the next two recruiting classes including getting 2-3 of best Memphis kids to commit.

If next year is a flop and Tubby doesn't have MAJOR reinforcements coming in it's going to get nasty.

I place a major chunk of the blame for the demise of Tiger basketball on that ridiculous hit piece of Scott Drew.

Had the guy all but locked up and on his way to Memphis after the depature of Calipari. A proven winner at a school where absolutely no one wins. But no one seems to like Drew because, well, reasons. Too squeaky clean... and how dare he build a program that can challenge mighty Kansas. He should know his place. His recruits are entirely too high major to be signing at a school like Baylor unless some major cash is being floated.

So, Nasal smears him in the paper. Our athletic director gets scared.

Now, Tiger basketball is losing by 30 points to Central Florida and Drew has been to two Elite Eights and a Sweet Sixteen. Great job, guys. Grizz town now. Lots of folks are thrilled about this turn of events and will aggressively fight against a return to form.

(03-19-2017 10:37 AM)EvilLore Wrote: What is it that Mimi calls him? Nasal?

I place a major chunk of the blame for the demise of Tiger basketball on that ridiculous hit piece of Scott Drew.

Had the guy all but locked up and on his way to Memphis after the depature of Calipari. A proven winner at a school where absolutely no one wins. But no one seems to like Drew because, well, reasons. Too squeaky clean... and how dare he build a program that can challenge mighty Kansas. He should know his place. His recruits are entirely too high major to be signing at a school like Baylor unless some major cash is being floated.

So, Nasal smears him in the paper. Our athletic director gets scared.

Now, Tiger basketball is losing by 30 points to Central Florida and Drew has been to two Elite Eights and a Sweet Sixteen. Great job, guys. Grizz town now. Lots of folks are thrilled about this turn of events and will aggressively fight against a return to form.

Big hit piece. Never did hear Calkins apologize, or say "whoops! Guess I got that one wrong."

(03-18-2017 10:42 AM)Tiger87 Wrote: Ok, your rude remark aside, I'll take you at your word that you want to have real discussion about this.

I believe there were not many coaches who wanted to follow Cal. He had set unbelievably high expectations, and the NCAA was breathing down our back. Now, there were more options than RC exercised, but the list was not huge.

After about 5 years of Pastner, I think the list was much bigger. Pastner had reset expectations, and had done a decent job of keeping recruiting relevant. That was the peak of our HC possibilities, post-Cal.

Every year since then, the list gets smaller. Program is losing shine. Player issues. Admin issues. Fan expectations. Declining attendance. Still, when Pastner left, there was a decent list. No marquee names were coming - partly because of them, and partly because we're not giving the Cal treatment any longer because we no longer are willing to waste football - but a decent list of second tier candidates.

Now after a year of Tubby, and the noise from the media and fan base. And the way the season ended, the Lawsons family contention, the lack of local recruiting, the scheduling issues...Coaches would look at all this and issue a quick "Pass". I think the candidate list right now might be as small as it's ever been.

On top of all that, coaches just aren't moving within D1 like they used to. Low tier P5's and even mid-majors are finding ways to keep coaches. So we're left with, again, those 2nd tier candidates that you take a flyer on, or the recycles.

Give Tubby about 3 years to restore some stability - and he should be able to - and then the candidate list will be restored as well.

IMO

I don't disagree with a thing you said except that I do think Marshall would have come here if given the control over basketball and I think at this point it wouldn't have wasted football.

The big boys rolled the dice on football to get us inclusion into a P5 conference and it backfired.

I fully admit to having an Opie hangover.

Certain things Tubby did THIS season really irritated me.

Setting this year aside, I'm genuinely concerned that next year is going to be the crater year if DL leaves and even worse if any other players follow suit.

It's really hard to understand how the boosters positioned things to allow the program to ever nose dive back to the point where it is today. It took a series of very poor decisions. It's really a shame.

My advice to you Backer is this...Let things play out before proclaiming we're dead. You never know what can happen.

The only thing that's going to help is if Tubby and staff have some hosses lined up for the next two recruiting classes including getting 2-3 of best Memphis kids to commit.

If next year is a flop and Tubby doesn't have MAJOR reinforcements coming in it's going to get nasty.

It also might be worthwhile to look at first-year Memphis assistant Josh Pastner, who could end up being a hot name for the Arizona job if more coaches turn it down. Pastner, one of the elite recruiting assistants in the country, worked at Arizona for seven years under Lute Olson.